Trust
by Rystal
Summary: Sometimes, when you think you've got life all figured out, it'll sneak up behind you and leave you in tears. For Lorelei Crescent, that was reality.


Ah, I hope you all enjoy this…

It's based of my OC, Lorelei Crescent. And please, tell me what you think!

_A seven year old wolf was hiding behind a blackberry bush in front of the Cornerian City University. She knew that the most intelligent and powerful gathered here day by day... She hoped to be one of them some day._

_It would never happen, of course. After all, she had no parents- who would educate her? But there was nothing wrong with dreaming._

_She was waiting for someone in particular: a professor by the name of Andross Oikonny. He seemed friendlier than most of the other professors, and he was much smarter than everyone else at the university. The girl looked up to this Oikonny, much more than she had anyone else._

_The girl didn't know much about her culture, for she hadn't seen her native planet for nearly two years. She was from Cerinia, an ancient planet on the edge of the Lylat system. Her fur and hair was pure white, unfortunately ruined by the dirt of Planet Corneria. Her innocent emerald eyes scanned the area for Oikonny, unsatisfied by his lack of attendance._

_A shuttle train arrived about a block away from the school, revealing a large mass of people stirring about in different directions. The child searched for Oikonny in the bunch, knowing quite well he took this shuttle each day. She looked from one man to another, an occasional woman heading for East Court._

_There! It was him! Excitement thrilled the little wolf, happy to at last see the professor. He was a brilliant ape- his research had been helping the entire Lylat system for years. The girl had always wanted to meet him in person, but every time she found herself too shy to approach him._

_Today, that wasn't going to happen. She was going to say hello to him today, no matter what!_

_She jumped around the bush and tried to skip off the curb, but the back of her shirt caught on the thorns of the bush. Her shirt tore and the result threw her off balance, her body hitting the brick floor of the square._

_The pain was unbearable and it felt like she was on fire. Underneath her fur, she could feel the skin break- and she could see red staining her knees and hands. Not able to bare it anymore, the little girl began to cry. Tears rolled down her face as she lied on the brick, unmoving._

_"Oh! That was quite a nasty fall you just took! Are you okay, child?"_

_The young wolf looked up to see Professor Andross Oikonny smiling gently down at her._

_He was so cool! The girl stood up quickly and eagerly, her eyes filled with amazement. Dirt staining her fur, her clothes torn, and blood dripping down her legs, she said the only words she could possibly think of._

_"You're… you're Professor Oikonny…" she stuttered nervously._

_"Oh yes, that's me. Are you alright?" the professor continued._

_"Um… yes…"_

_"That's good. But what are you doing here all alone?"_

_She couldn't possibly tell him she was waiting for him. That would sound so weird, so inappropriate to the situation…_

_"Where are your parents?"_

_"…M-my… parents?"_

_Of course. She didn't have any parents, what was she supposed to say?_

_"Um…they're… I don't know!"_

_"Oh? Are you maybe...?"_

_"Um…"_

_"Ah, I understand. You're lost, aren't you? Well… unfortunately, I have a lot of work today, maybe I could get you to the police station so they could help…"_

_"No! Don't do that!" she blurted out._

_"But why not?"_

_"Um… maybe I could stay with you today? Please, Mister Oikonny?"_

_"Oh? With me?"_

_The professor looked thoughtful. Then:_

_"Well, why not? You can help me with my research!" Professor Oikonny exclaimed._

_"Really!?" the girl asked excitedly._

_"Well, we'll just have to see about that. Come with me!"_

_With that, the professor walked towards the university, smiling at the young wolf to follow. She quickly caught up and held his hand, walking by his side, her eyes filled with sheer happiness and trust.  
_

That was how I met that psychotic fool. It was hard to believe I could have been so naïve, so blind that I couldn't even see his true nature. But even as I tried to forget him, Krystal's words echoed through my head, and only made things worse…

_Lorelei...  
You're my mentor for a reason. Throughout my entire life, I never really found anyone I could trust. My people were dead, and Andross had tainted the hearts of many. When I met Fox, I thought I trusted him, but you know... our relationship got rocky. When he kicked me off the team, I came to Star Wolf because I didn't have a choice. You know I hated my life as Kursed, but where else could I go?_

_And Wolf was about to keep it that way. He would have never let me rejoin Star Wolf if it wasn't for you. You're the first person I ever met who was my own kind, the first person I met that protected me out of courtesy._

_Lorelei, you're the first person that I truly trusted, you're the first one I could really call my friend. That's why I call you my mentor. I respect you, I care about you, I even __envy__ you. You taught me everything you knew, you never kept secrets from me, and you treated me like I was your own family. You gave me my powers; you gave me the secrets of this staff..._

_You were the first person I really trusted._

_That's why you're my mentor. That's why you're the person I trust more than anyone else in Lylat._

So she thought of me as family because I was the first person she truly trusted?

There's not any really wrong with that. But it can't be the same for me. I can't possibly qualify that bastard as family, he hurt me! I hated him more than anything in the world...

I told myself this, but how could it be true? If I hated him... why did I still have that…? Why was it that I let him teach me how to use my own psychic powers? Why did I still use every drop of my power through that psychotic fool? I hated him!

I began to cry. The meaningless words that I tried to brainwash myself with were hollow lies…

I had loved him. That day, I'd poured my heart out to him, told him everything about me. It was the first time I'd ever had anyone listen to me, the first time anyone had actually cared about me. He found I had no one to take care of me, and took time out of his own research to adopt and raise me as his own child.

And he was the first person I truly trusted.

He'd revealed to me his own secrets, he took me with him everywhere he went. When he was banished to Venom, he let me come too, when he called out for his revenge, he let me assist him.

I don't know if he really cared about me. Perhaps it was all manipulation, perhaps he really did care…

It didn't matter. He was a father, a mentor, a friend to me.

Andross was the person I trusted more than anyone else in Lylat.

Star Fox © Nintendo

Lorelei Crescent and story © me


End file.
